Lowell Sherman Biography

Descended from an old and venerated acting family, Lowell Sherman toted up several impressive Broadway credits in the years prior to 1920. Matinee-idol handsome, [[Performer~P177404~Sherman~sherman]] enjoyed playing rakish society types, the sort who loved 'em and left 'em, but always with a touch of class. His first film role, in D.W. Griffith's [[Feature~V53607~Way Down East~waydowneast]], was an extension of [[Performer~P177404~Sherman~sherman]]'s caddish stage persona. In 1930, [[Performer~P177404~Sherman~sherman]] became a director as well as an actor, turning out such sophisticated sex farces as [[Feature~V3639~Bachelor Apartment~bachelorapartment]] (1931) and [[Feature~V93869~The Greeks Had a Word for Them~thegreekshadawordforthem]] (1933), in which double entendres and knowing glances were the order of the day. His most famous directorial effort was Mae West's box-office triumph [[Feature~V44218~She Done Him Wrong~shedonehimwrong]] (1932). The only post-1931 film in which [[Performer~P177404~Sherman~sherman]] acted but did not direct was George Cukor's [[Feature~V54038~What Price Hollywood~whatpricehollywood]] (1932). It is said that [[Performer~P177404~Sherman~sherman]] based his portrayal of an alcoholic show business has-been in this film on his own brother-in-law, John Barrymore (at the time, [[Performer~P177404~Sherman~sherman]] was married to Helene Costello, the sister of Barrymore's then-wife Dolores Costello). Lowell Sherman died in the last week of 1934, while directing the first three-strip Technicolor feature, [[Feature~V4552~Becky Sharp~beckysharp]]; according to his friend James Cagney, it was [[Performer~P177404~Sherman~sherman]]'s addiction to cigarettes that did him in. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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